by Catherine J. Martzloff

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Between Public and Private Spaces

Nicole Wermers, explores the
relationships and boundaries
between public and private
space through her sculptural
installations where everyday
objects are re-cast. She is
particularly interested in urban
space and it's social, economic
and psychological affects.
In an interview in BerlinArtLink
Wermers states, "Private and public
spheres are increasingly merging
in different layers of reality
and space is now something that a
lot of people experience mainly
behind the screen."
I was drawn to 3 examples of her
work. The first two are from an
installation called "Women Between
Buildings". The first image of
a dishrack I found aesthetically
beautiful and like a work of art. It
has no relation to the dishracks I've
experienced, although it was
equally loaded and balanced. I
wondered if the overloaded
state and delicate positioning
signify the many jobs women often
do juggle on a day to day basis
without recognition. Sometimes
they even master a beautiful
façade in the midst of it all.
Part of what I understand the artist
aims to do in this exhibit is to
challenge the minimization of what's
been traditionally coined as women's
work. I suppose it does elevate the
more mundane but necessary private
parts of life.
Interestingly, as I thought about this
piece I thought of Duchamp's signed
urinal. The whole idea
of what makes something "art" came to
mind. Is it the space it inhabits? Is it the
object itself or both? Does it matter?

"Mood Boards"

This second image is from her
series of "Mood Boards" where baby
changing tables have been extracted
from public bathrooms and then
filled with terrazzo tile. Terrazzo
is flooring material. Initially
terrazzo was created by Venetian
construction workers from pieces
of marble and other organic material
left from old buildings. It's a
durable flooring material that
doesn't show wear and hides dirt.
It has a very sensorial presence.

"Untitled Forcefield" 2007

The last image "Untitled Forcefield"
inspired by metal detectors
at the exit of department stores.
“I became interested in the metal
detectors because they are these
weird pieces of urban furniture
that are visible and invisible at the
same time. They are part of the
fabric of the city, directing people
through the urban landscape,
determining their movements and
sometimes actions. An invisible
radiation emanates from the
detectors, and their presence
is meant to scare off potential
thieves. They are often paired, and
the way that people walk through
them makes them reminiscent of
ancient stone lions guarding the
entrances of archaic buildings.”
This quote is from an article
by Heidi Zuckerman Jacobson
you can read the full text
HERE.